Speaking in a Q&A session on Nokia Conversations, executive vice president of the Microsoft Devices Group Stephen Elop said the Nokia brand was available to Microsoft but it would not be the long-term name of the business.

"The Nokia brand is available to Microsoft to use for its mobile phones products for a period of time, but Nokia as a brand will not be used for long going forward for smartphones," Elop explained. "Work is underway to select the go-forward smartphone brand."

Elop stressed that it will not attempt to merge the Nokia and Windows Phone names to make anything too long.

"Now that we are one company, the marketing and product folks will lay in the plans for the shift to a consistent brand," he said.

"While we are not ready to share precise details, I can assure you that it will not be the 'Nokia Lumia 1020 with Windows Phone on the AT&T LTE Network'... too many words! That somehow doesn't roll off the tongue..."

Elop also said Microsoft Mobile - which was tipped as a potential brand for the division - is merely a "legal construct" for the moment to "facilitate the merger".